Poll: Republicans warm to Cruz, cool to Trump

As Ted Cruz and Chris Christie have risen in the esteem of Republican voters, so have fallen Ben Carson, Jeb Bush and Donald Trump, according to the results of the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll out Wednesday morning.

Carson is still the most favorably viewed candidate, with 62 percent expressing a positive view of the retired neurosurgeon, though experiencing an 9-point drop in the last two months. Meanwhile, Cruz gained seven points, rising to 60 percent favorable. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio remained static with 58 percent favorable.

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Donald Trump, meanwhile, dropped 12 points among the Republican voters surveyed, from 69 percent in November to 57 percent this month. Christie shot up 18 points, from 35 percent to 53 percent, as the governor has also risen in early-state polling, particularly in New Hampshire, where the governor has devoted much of his time campaigning.

Like Trump, Bush also fell 12 points, from 56 percent to 44 percent, as the former governor of Florida continues to struggle in early-state and national polling.

On the Democratic side, 84 percent of voters viewed Hillary Clinton favorably. The poll also asked voters' opinions of former President Bill Clinton, who along with daughter Chelsea has begun campaigning for his wife solo in early-voting states. Nearly the same share — 83 percent — saw the former president favorably, while Sanders is seen favorably by 58 percent of Democratic voters, closer to where his would-be Republican opponents sit among their partisans.

Among all adults surveyed, former President Clinton led the way with 53 percent favorable, followed by the former secretary of state with 48 percent and Sanders with 44 percent. Cruz, Carson and Rubio were the top Republican candidates among all surveyed, with 42 percent, 41 percent and 40 percent favorability, respectively.

The sub-samples in the poll have a margin of error on the high side: Langer Research Associates conducted the survey from Jan. 6-10, surveying a random national sample of 1,000 adults, including 277 Republicans, with a margin of error of plus or minus 7.5 percentage points, and 316 Democrats, with a margin of error of plus or minus 7 percentage points.